Improvement in bee-hives



.ttniiri hm WASHINGTON J. KELLY, or coMMnncE, MICHIGAN..

Letters APatent No. 112,813, dated March 21, 1 871.

, The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To 'whom it may concern:

1 Be itknown that I, WAsHrNGToN J. KELLY, of-

Commerce, in thecounty of Oakland and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Bee-Hive;` and I do declare that the following is a true and accurate description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing and to the letters of' reference marked thereon and being a part of this specification, in whieh- Figure 1 is a perspective of my hive with the side door open, the cap removed, the cap-box and honeyboard partially detached, and frame-supporting arms attached.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my improved combframe. l

Figure 3 is a perspective view of' a moth-trap with cover removed.

Like letters indicate like partsin each figure.

The nature of this invention relates to an improve- I'neut in bee-hives, and consists in the construction and combination of its several principal parts, arranged and operating as more`fully hereinafter described.

In the drawing- A represents my com b-frames, which are of the usual construction, except that at the upper corners on one sidel place stops a, and at the lower corners of thesame side diagonal braces b, of lthe same thickness, which also serve as stops; the stops serve to keep the frames a slight distance apart, and thus prevent the bees from joining them informing the comb; the braces keep them from being twisted away when, as. frequently occurs, the bees start the combfrom one corner; with unbraced frames the free passage of the' bees around their endsis apt toibe interrupted from the cause above recitedi The projecting ends .of the top bar of each frame rest on a ledge in the top of the front and rear walls of the shell or case of the hive, which is provided with a cap, E, in which is placed a honey-box, F', which is also providedwith the comb-frames ot' the construction already described, except that, being shallow, but one stop is needed in each, and Which is placed in the middle of the top bar.

One side of the hive-case is hinged at the bottom to open downward, forminga door, E.

G' are staples in the upper side of the front and rear \va1ls`,iu which are inserted the arms O, so arranged as` to afford a prolongation of the ledges which support the comb-frames in the hive on these-arms the frames may be drawn out in handling the bees, and replacedwith'out injuring the comb, when the arms are removed and the door closed again.

B are moth-traps, one of which is placed at either side of the entrance c.

These traps consist simply of a rectangular box with a sliding cover, and provided at their ends farthest from the entrance to the hive with an opening7V vcovered with wire-gauze at their front inner corners theyare provided with a flattened tube, e, leading upward aud into the interior. Similar tubes, e, in like manner enter them from near the hive entrance in their ends; these tubes are but just large enough to admit-a moth, which, on entering, sees the light at the other end of the box and seeks to escape only in that direction; the tubes keeping the other end of the ybor: darkened, the moth seeking to enter thehive would naturally pass into the first opening which presents litself', oneof the tubes e, but. as the bees entering and leaving the hive protect the entrance should he approach nearer thereto, preferably he would take one of the tubes e instead of the crowded and, busy entrance;

1n starting a colony iu a fresh h ive it is necessary that the bees shouldbe confined in their future home, the hive proper, until the combs are well under way; for this' purpose the honey-board H is provided, to be placed over the main comb-haines u'ntil`the bees are to be admitted to the ca when it ymay be removed and placed over the frames in the cap to prevent them from working in the cap proper. -.1 v

If it'be discovered thatrobber-bees 'are attacking the hive, they j nay be prevented from entering by closing the entrance with the moth-traps.

What I claim as my invention', and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, in a bee-hive, of the case D, the cap F, honey-box F', provided with' comb-frames, mothtraps tB, detachable comb-frames A, and door E, the several parts beingconstructed, arranged, and operated substantially as described and shown.

WASHINGTON J. KELLY. Witnesses:

Trios. S. SPRAGUE, M. STEWART., 

